@Johanna V. Around my area we are supposed to use licensed electricians, plumbers and roofers, period. Do all the land lords? Of course not. However, if someone calls you on it, it is a good idea to have a licensed person you can turn to.
You the owner can do your own work on the property. If permits are required then it's inspected and usually licensed contractor is required for that.. unless the work is ok to be done by the owner. you can roof your own house but you need to pull a permit.. you can wire your own house in most states, but it needs to pass inspection and requires a permit.. so it's to code.
Depends on scale of the work, but most contractors do have insurance, licensed only if required by state to do that type of work. Painters usually don't require a license.. but it's someone I'd want to verify they had their own workers comp ins and liability ins. if working on my property.
It'll be done by skilled and experienced people -- i'll never do something that will put the tenants in danger or my property, but they are not licensed and bonded.
All i'm trying to do is: 1- remove a not working dishwasher, and install a new one, 2- install a P-trap in a bathroom sink.
Is the tenant's demand valid for only licensed and bonded contractor?
As always, this is dependent on the terms in your lease and your local laws. But that would be pretty unusual for the kinds of things you're having done.
One very important skill in this business is making sure the tenant knows that you don't work for them, and (outside of lease terms and the law) they don't get to tell you how to run your business. Some of them are like kids - they'll test the boundaries until you firmly establish them.
A handyman is all that is really necessary for a small job such as this, in my opinion. I dont know about your state, but in mine, handymen with bills under $600 for labor is not required to be licensed. I do believe this can change by state.
As a matter of practice, however, we do use licensed and insured people for our jobs.
This is handyman type work. I have even had dishwashers installed by Sear's subcontractors.
What is the tenant's concern? Is she afraid for her own safety or that her belongings will be stolen? If you arrange to be there during the dishwasher installation and the minor plumbing repair will that alleviate her fears?
Working on units while occupied is a pain -- so much easier to attend to these items during turnover!
I'm a small investor and have found people that have the skills and experience (from working in the field) they are hard working honest people. I even trust them with the house i live in. Otherwise, if i'll be paying companies for these jobs I wouldn't be able to make it. This tenant needs intensive "training"...
@Michael Plante thanks for the suggestion, i'll contact the county. Hope it won't be an ordeal to get a simple answer.
True, it depends on the state laws, so if there's anybody knows how it works in WA, will be greatly appreciated it!
@Bettina F. He is a security freak. He has installed cameras inside and out, and is temperamental. He knows the people i use, so it's not a random person/company (If it'll be the case, I've gone to the property if he cannot be home). Now, he's asking if they are licensed and bonded...
For something like that, the request is ridiculous..... if it were some big job where if the job was not done properly, it could be a safety hazard etc, then sure....but a dishwasher install? come on...... if he's that freaked out about security, have him be there or you be there during the work
If you cave on this, there will be more demands.... the tenant doesn't set the rules beyond the law or the lease..
The tenant can demand anything they want . Doesnt mean they will get their way . I would say you would want licensed and insured contractors . But bonded , not necessary
I also think the request is ridiculous, but since this tenant is such a pain, i wanted to say something firm-- such as, in Washington State it's not required i provide the contractor's info to you (the tenant). I'm constantly having to be specific and firm with him because of his short temper. For sure, he's out at the end of the lease! I'm not renewing it.
I'll try to contact the county, but hoping there's someone in the community that could answer my question. Thanks all for the input!
@Matthew Paul the one taking the risk would be me, as a landlord, if contractors are not licensed and insured. There's no risk involved for him as a tenant, for changing a dishwasher and installing a p-trap in the sink anyway. As you say bonded, not necessary.
Unless state law says otherwise as people have said... it is not necessary for handyman work like this. You could honestly install the dishwasher and p trap yourself to save even more!!! It is very easy to do. But if you don't feel conformable doing it yourself, it is not necessary to get someone licensed and bonded for this scope of work. Plus as already been said, you bend here and more and more requests will be made.
Your local codes may require specific qualifications or licences for contractors to perform work however it is a joke to accept that a tenant has the right to demand anything of a landlord beyond that outlined in your state landlord tenant regulations.
Tell your tenants that when they are paying for the work they can choose their own contractors.
@Brian Varmuza correct! and don't want to bend here or no where, that's not how i run my properties. I wanted to know if this is a common practice in the field, then it's ok to tell the tenant no. I cannot do it myself and don't want to either. I rather have my skilled and experienced guys do it.
Trying to dig the local WA codes or having to contact a lawyer is a longer and tedious task, given that I have the work scheduled on Saturday and the tenant is asking me this now, so need to reply soon!
Tell him that it's your house and that you select who works on it. Then tell him that if he doesn't like it then to not let the door hit him in the ***.
I put dishwashers in the "unwarranteed" section of my lease and tell tenants that they can use it if it's there but if it breaks they have to fix it if they want it fixed.
@Deanna McCormick ".. you can wire your own house in most states, but it needs to pass inspection and requires a permit.. so it's to code."
I would think this varies in different states. In St. Louis (County), MO you can do electrical work on your own house as long as you: 1. live in the house, not just own it. 2. Can pass the test to determine that you know what you are doing. 3. Get a permit and pass inspections. I have done this in the past with both plumbing and electrical work.
Check your local regulations. Previously in MN, all plumbing and electrical had to be done by a licenesed contractor. Now in IL being an electrician isn't licensed at all (blows my mind!). And of course, there are the folks who simply grab people to do the work and get it done. IMO, if a tenant requests a licensed and bonded contractor then go for it. Hopefully, you've got an agreement that they pay for $X.XX first and you do the rest when it comes to appliance repair, etc.
Any tenant who "demands" anything from their landlord is a huge red flag imho. If you give in, you have just trained your tenant to make more demands upon you. Where does it end? Be fair and be reasonable, but DON'T ever give in to tenant demands.
If a tenant started "demanding" things from me, I would review my tenant screening criteria to see where the process failed me, and would plan for a non renewal of their lease asap.